Device for polishing stones.



J. RATCLIFFE.

DEVICE FOR POLISHING STONES.

APPLIDATION FILED mm2, 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

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J. RATGLIFPE.

DEVICE -FoR POLISHING STONES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2,1910. 977, 327. Patented N0v.29,191o.

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'UNITE STA A DEVICE FOR POLISHING STONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 2, 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Serial No. 564,643.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JAMES RATCLIFFE, of the cit-y of 1Winnipeg, in the Province of Manitoba, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Polishing Stones, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to devices for polishing stones, and the object of the invention is to provide a means for supporting the outer edge of the rotatable plate which it is customary to use when polishing stone surfaces, such device allowing the plate to be enlarged indefinitely thereby increasing the capacity of the machine.

The invention consists essentially in a rotatable plate, standards grouped concentric with the center of the plate, tracks carried by the standards, such tracks being provided with ball bearings supporting the under face of the plate, and means allowing the passage of oil to the bearings, the parts being arranged and constructed as hereinafter more particularly described.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical horizontal sectional view centrally through the machine, the section being` taken in the plane denoted by the line X X, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed perspective view of one of the standards showing the manner in which the track is formed. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the standards and a portion of the plate showing the door for oiling purposes. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the portions shown in Fig. 4, the section being taken in the plane denoted by the line Y Y, Fig. 4.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each gure.

1 represents a suitable flooring of cement or other such substance on which I place the machine so that it will have a solid foundation.

2 is a socket firmly secured to the flooring by bolts 3, such socket receiving the lower end of the main shaft 4 which passes upwardly through a bearing formed in a bracket 5 also xed to the flooring. The shaft has a bevel gear 6 fixed thereon which meshes with a bevel pinion 7 carried at the end of a drive shaft 8 which is mounted in bearings formed in the bracket 5 and in a standard shortly to be described. The shaft receives a circular plate 9 the plate being loose on the shaft and provided with a downwardly directed facial projection 10 concentric with the shaft.

11 are similar standards grouped around the shaft beneath the plate, said standards being firmly held to the flooring by bolts 12. Each standard is provided with upwardly directed wings 18 and 14 which receive between them the ends of the tracks 15 which are butted together centrally between the wings and fastened thereto by bolts 16. The tracks 15 have channels 15 formed in their upper faces such channels being filled with balls 17 on which bears the facial projection 10 of a plate 9. Y

It will be noticed that the edges of the tracks are cut away at the standards, the wings 13 and 14 forming at these points the side walls of the channels. In this way the plate is supported by what is commonly called ball bearings at its edges.

In order to prevent dustinterfering with the free movement of the balls I have se cured bars 18 to the outer sides of the standards such bars being bent so that they are concentric to the shaft 4 and continuous. Each bar has its upper edge just clear of the under face of the plate 9.

19 are angle iron bars having each an arm bolted firmly to the under side of the plate 9 and the remaining arm directed downwardly and appearing immediately to the outer side of the adjoining bar 18. The bars 19 are all also continuous and concentric with the bars 4.

In order that oil or other such lubricant may be applied within the channels for the balls I have provided opposing doors 20 vand 21 in the bars 18 and 19, respectively, such being located at suitable intervals.

22 is a sleeve located on the shaft 4 between the under face of the plate and the bracket 5, such sleeve being fixed in any way to the shaft so that it rotates therewith.

Arms 423 radiate from the sleeve beneath the plate and support it, said plate being fastened to the arms by bolts 24 which have enlarged heads countersunk within squared openings formed in the plate. Short bars 25 span the arms and receive the threaded ends of the bolts 24, the bolts being provided with nuts which tighten on the arms.

It will be understood that a plate can be enlarged indefinitely provided a suitable number of tracks similar to those above described be provided to take the weight of the stone carried by the plate off the shaft 4.

At present the size of the plate is more or less restricted for the reason that it is hard to center much stone on the shaft so that the socket and bearings will be worn evenly.

lVhat I claim as my invention is: l. The combination with a rotatable Vertically directed shaft having suitable arms radiating therefrom and rotatable therewith, and a plate having a smooth upper face carried by the arms and concentric with the shaft, said plate having a downwardly directed facial projection concentric with the shaft, of standards grouped around the shaft and having upwardy directed wings, a continuous track presenting a continuous channel concentric to the shaft, said track being secured to the wings, and balls located within the channel and supporting the downwardly directed facial projection aforesaid, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination with a rotatable vertically directed shaft having suitable arms radiating therefrom and rotatable therewith, and a plate carried by the arms and concentric with the shaft, said plate having a downwardly directed facial projection concentric with the shaft, of standards grouped around the shaft and having upwardly directed wings, tracks having channels formed in their upper faces and their ends passing between the wings to which they are bolted, said tracks being concentric with the shaft and continuous, balls located within the channels and receiving the downwardly directed facial projections aforesaid, as and for the purpose specified.

The combination with a rotatable plate having downwardly directed facial projections, standards located beneath the plates, tracks carried by the standards and having channels formed therein, and balls located within the channels and bearing against the facial projection, of upwardly directed bars secured to the standards, channel iron bars fixed to the plate and overlapping the latter bars, and opposing doors carried by both of the bars, as and for the purpose specified.

Signed at l/Vinnipeg in the Province of Manitoba, this 8th day of March 1910.

JAMES RATCLIFFE.

In the presence of- G. S. RoXBURGr-r, J. K. ELKIN. 

